Indy 500 (1995 video game)

Indy 500 is a 1995 arcade racing video game developed by Sega's AM1 division^[1] and published by Sega Enterprises. It follows the format of previous driving games such as Daytona USA. It includes the famous Indianapolis 500. It was originally being developed for the Sega Model 3 arcade board, but due to delays in the board's development it was instead released on the Sega Model 2 B CRX.^[2][1]

Players can race one of three courses: Highland Raceway, Indianapolis 500, and Bayside Street. A disclaimer appears at the start of the game notifying players that Highland Raceway and Bay Side Street are fictional courses and are not affiliated with Indy. However, the two courses resemble Laguna Seca and Long Beach/Surfers Paradise respectively.

The race commences after the user has made their choice of automatic transmission or manual transmission with a 2-position shifter. Special features of the cabinet include a steering wheel with haptic feedback.^[3] A Sega Saturn version was planned but it was not released. However, it is emulated on the Model 2 Emulator by Elsemi.

Variations

Sega World Sydney featured an enhanced version of Indy 500 similar to Virtua Racing at the Yokohama Joypolis and Sega Touring Car Championship at the Tokyo Joypolis. It featured an 8 player linked system with large screens in front of complete cockpits including additional virtual spectator displays. It was run as an attraction, as opposed to regular arcade units, which involved continuous staffing and requiring players to queue. This variation still exists at several current and former SEGA GameWorks arcades in the United States.

Tiger released a handheld game under the same franchise on the Game.com console.

Reception

According to an article published in Next Generation a few months after the game's release in Japan, "... reaction to the game in Japan has been relatively muted so far, with Namco's impressive Rave Racer attracting a lot more players."^[4]

A Next Generation reviewer scored the arcade version four out of five stars, calling it "the fastest simulated driving experience ever. The feel of speed, driven by the Model 2B board, rips 60 frames across the screen per second, and is coupled with the 39-inch screen as well as a devilish sense of acceleration and power." He further praised the game for effectively simulating the unique qualities of Indy Car racing, though he also remarked that the infrequency of powerslides makes the game less fun, even as he acknowledged that it is true to real life Indy Car racing.^[5]

Brett Alan Weiss rated the game.com version three stars out of five and praised its "realistic gameplay" and sound effects, including "roaring engines, squealing tires, convincing car crashes and the clarity with which the starting announcer speaks." However, he criticized its repetitive gameplay: "just like in real INDY racing, the course in this game is an oval. Some twists and turns would have been nice. It's hard to fault realism, but it is easy to fault boredom. And bored is what you'll get after you've had this game in your possession for a few days. Perhaps an INDY purist would be kinder to this game in this respect. After all, racing fans do get quite excited about watching cars on television go around in circles for hours on end." Weiss also criticized some of the game's animation, but wrote, "However, for a handheld game played on a small gray screen, INDY 500 does a good job of simulating high speeds. The walls and pavement pass by jerkily but convincingly, and the clouds coming up over the horizon are a very nice touch."^[6]

References

External links

• Indy 500 at GameFAQs